THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state will seek help of intelligence agencies of other countries to track the 21 Malayalis who were suspected to have joined the Islamic State. It is learnt that though the central agencies have received information that most of those missing mysteriously, including womenand children, had left the country, their whereabouts could not be tracked and it could not even be confirmed whether they had joined the IS. Hence it was decided to seek the help of intelligence agencies of other countries.
According to sources, ADGP (Intelligence) R. Sreelekha held discussions with top intelligence officials in New Delhi on Tuesday and appraised them of the information gathered by the local police so far regarding the 21 persons. Details like passport information of those missing would be shared with intelligence agencies of Iran, Syria and other West Asian countries through which those missing might have travelled. The intelligence agencies of other countries may cooperate depending on their relationships with India's intelligence agencies, sources said.
Intelligence agencies received information from the immigration wing that all the 21 had reached Teheran in different groups between May last week and July first week. They had travelled using tourist visas. But it could not be verified whether they had travelled beyond Iran and hence the help of intelligence agencies of other countries is being sought, said sources.
Sources also said that since the top officials of the Home Ministry were busy with the Kashmir violence, the state's concern may not get much attention from the centre at this stage. Certain messages sent by some of the missing persons to their relatives and information from the bureau of immigration that those missing had left the country strengthen the suspicions that they had joined the IS. The state police are yet to invoke the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Ten cases were registered in connection with the missing of 21 persons. While nine were registered in Kasargod, one was in Palakkad.
